Enhancing Communication: The Benefits of Cognitive Speech Therapy for Adults
Communication is the lifeblood of human connection, a dynamic exchange that shapes our relationships, careers, and overall quality of life. For adults grappling with speech and language challenges, the frustration of being unable to express thoughts or connect with others on a fundamental level can be overwhelming.
In this article, we will tackle the role of cognitive speech therapy for adults, how to enhance communication skills, and how to overcome traumas after a brain injury.
The Role of Cognitive Speech Therapy for Adults
Enhancing Cognitive Abilities Through Speech Therapy
Overcoming Speech Challenges Post-Brain Injury
At-Home Cognitive Speech Therapy Activities
How Connected Speech Pathology Can Help With Cognitive Speech Therapy
The Role of Cognitive Speech Therapy for Adults
Cognitive speech therapy, or cognitive-communication therapy, aids individuals in boosting their communication and cognitive functioning. This specialized form of treatment enhances cognitive skill sets, including:
attention
concentration
orientation
word retrieval
Cognitive speech therapy aims to aid individuals in overcoming challenges like difficulty paying attention, maintaining focus, and other mental hurdles.
A speech therapist is instrumental in devising a customized treatment plan in cognitive speech therapy. This plan may encompass cognitive brain exercises and compensatory strategies to address different cognitive processes to enhance communication skills.
The therapist works closely with the individual, their family, caregivers, and other healthcare providers to provide a holistic approach to cognitive intervention.
Understanding Cognitive-Communication Disorders
Cognitive communication disorders refer to language and speech impairments caused by cognitive deficits, which can significantly affect daily living activities. Individuals with cognitive-communication disorders may encounter challenges during conversations, such as:
Regulating emotions
Interpreting nonverbal cues
Sustaining topics
Considering other perspectives
Therapy for cognitive-communication disorders aims to restore functioning, compensate for deficits, and provide the individual and their family with information about the disorder and its treatment.
Those affected may experience difficulty attending to a dialogue, maintaining the conversation, retaining information, responding accurately, or adhering to instructions. Cognitive communication disorders can also impact reading and writing abilities, hindering job tasks, schoolwork, and community engagement.
The Importance of a Speech Language Pathologist
In cognitive speech therapy, speech-language pathologists are fundamental in assessing and designing customized treatment plans to tackle cognitive communication disorders. Their expertise determines if the individual has a mild cognitive impairment or a more severe injury. The speech therapist will develop a personalized treatment plan that caters to the individual’s unique needs.
To become a speech-language pathologist, one must possess a bachelor’s degree in a healthcare field and a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from an accredited college or university.
Typically, speech-language pathologists meet with patients undergoing cognitive speech therapy anywhere between twice a month to twice a week. They are qualified to treat various cognitive communication disorders, including organization, thought organization, sequencing, attention, memory, and planning impairments.
Enhancing Cognitive Abilities Through Speech Therapy
Cognitive speech therapy prioritizes enhancing memory and cognitive function - initiating, planning, organizing, problem-solving, and reasoning abilities.
This can be achieved through various therapeutic exercises and strategies, targeting memory impairments such as short or long-term memory deficits, cognitive functioning of working memory, and difficulty with orientation to person, place, or time.
Effective cognitive speech therapy techniques to improve memory include functional speech therapy memory activities for adults, cognitive speech therapy activities, and memory matching games and word puzzles.
Moreover, specific exercises can enhance executive functioning skills in cognitive speech therapy patients, such as engaging in step-by-step activities that require planning and organization, practicing cognitive therapy activities targeting specific goals, and playing matching and sorting games to promote cognitive flexibility.
Memory Strategies for Better Recall
In cognitive speech therapy, memory strategies like spaced retrieval and naming can boost recall and word retrieval. Spaced retrieval is a scientifically proven method that assists individuals in recollecting information over increasingly extended periods.
To practice spaced retrieval, it is recommended to create flashcards with new information, quiz oneself at increasing intervals, and gradually lengthen the time between quizzes.
On the other hand, naming therapy is a therapeutic exercise employed to assist individuals with aphasia in recalling words and enhancing memory.
This can involve writing down general categories and attempting to recall and name as many items in that category as possible or pointing to objects within one’s home or pictures in a book and verbally labeling them. For effective naming therapy, caregivers should wait for the individual to request hints if they need guidance.
Executive Functioning Exercises
For cognitive speech therapy patients, executive functioning exercises such as task sequencing can bolster planning, comprehension, and reasoning abilities.
Task sequencing is a therapeutic exercise that enhances these abilities by having a friend or caregiver present a list of steps necessary to complete an activity, such as turning on the TV and watching a show, in a mixed-up order. The objective is then to rearrange the steps back into the correct sequence.
Maintaining a daily to-do list, taking notes, planning, and utilizing puzzles and crafts are some executive functioning exercises commonly used in cognitive speech therapy. Through these exercises, individuals can enhance their ability to plan and execute tasks effectively, improving their overall cognitive and communication skills.
Overcoming Speech Challenges Post-Brain Injury
For individuals who have suffered brain injuries like traumatic brain injury (TBI) or stroke, cognitive speech therapy can aid in overcoming speech-related challenges. A basic speech-language pathology assessment will systematically examine deficits in:
Attention
Executive function
Information processing
Memory
Metacognition
Orientation
Spatial cognition
This assessment will accurately determine which components are affected and the severity of the impairment.
Interventions for individuals with brain injuries, such as TBI, have been developed based on each individual’s type and severity of impairment. One such intervention, response elaboration training (RET), is a therapy technique where a speech therapist utilizes images and a series of 5W questions to assist individuals in elaborating upon their responses.
Treatment Strategies for Aphasia
Aphasia, a language disorder that hinders a person’s communicative abilities, can be mitigated by treatment strategies to restore language functionality and bolster communication skills.
Various evidence-based therapies for aphasia have been identified, including impairment-based approaches that concentrate on honing specific linguistic forms, functionally oriented approaches, and intention manipulation.
Compensatory Strategies for Lasting Independence
Compensatory strategies aid individuals in adapting to their communication hurdles while preserving their independence. These strategies involve techniques and tools to compensate for difficulties in attention, memory, problem-solving, and executive functions.
Examples of compensatory strategies employed in cognitive speech therapy include following an organized routine, keeping the space clutter-free, utilizing memory aids, and organizing regular medications in dosette boxes.
Compensatory strategies can provide individuals with cognitive-communication challenges with alternative methods to overcome or compensate for their communication difficulties. Some examples of compensatory strategy include:
Using visual aids
Simplifying language
Using gestures or cues
Utilizing technology
These techniques can enhance understanding and expression, increasing independence in daily communication tasks.
At-Home Cognitive Speech Therapy Activities
At-home cognitive speech therapy activities can supplement in-person therapy sessions, providing additional practice and reinforcement of skills learned during therapy. These activities can include:
Calendar tasks
Memory deficits treatment
Scheduling appointments
Organizing information
Daily writing
Word-finding exercises
Utilizing YouTube for speech and language practice
Using Apps to Enhance Language Skills
Apps and technology can provide additional support and practice for individuals undergoing cognitive speech therapy. They can be employed to:
Rehearse speech sounds
Better vocabulary and grammar
Augment listening and comprehension skills
Foster social communication capacities
Apps can supplement customary therapy sessions, permitting individuals to persist in practicing their communication skills outside of therapy sessions.
Some of the most highly rated applications for cognitive speech therapy include:
CT Speech and Cognitive Therapy
Spaced Retrieval Therapy App
Elevate
Let’s be Social
Brain
By utilizing these apps, individuals can receive additional support and guidance in their journey towards improved communication skills and independence.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is a cognitive communication deficit?
Cognitive communication deficits occur as a result of stroke, brain injury, or other neurological damage and can lead to difficulties in thinking and using language.
2. What is cognitive speech therapy?
Cognitive speech therapy is an evidence-based therapy designed to work on language, speaking, communication, and general cognitive skills. It is not limited to those having difficulty speaking and can benefit many individuals.
3. How do cognitive abilities affect communication?
Cognitive abilities can significantly impact communication, as people with cognitive-communication disorders may have difficulty making decisions and remembering conversations, leading to difficulties in responding appropriately.
4. Can cognitive speech therapy be done remotely?
Yes, cognitive speech therapy can be conducted remotely through telehealth platforms. Advances in technology have made it possible for individuals to receive therapy from the comfort of their homes, ensuring accessibility and continuity of care.
Remote cognitive speech therapy sessions are conducted with the same level of professionalism and personalized attention as in-person sessions, providing a flexible and convenient option for individuals seeking rehabilitation and improving communication skills.
How Connected Speech Pathology Can Help With Cognitive Speech Therapy
Connected Speech Pathology is pivotal in enhancing adult communication through implementing cognitive speech therapy. Our speech pathologists work closely with adults to assess and target specific cognitive-communication challenges, including attention, memory, problem-solving, and executive function difficulties.
By tailoring therapy plans to individual needs, Connected Speech Pathology aims to improve overall communication skills and help individuals regain independence in their daily lives.
Through cognitive speech therapy, our team employs evidence-based techniques to enhance communication-related cognitive processes. Therapy sessions may include exercises to improve memory recall, attentional focus, and problem-solving abilities.
By integrating cognitive and communication strategies, Connected Speech Pathology provides a holistic approach that addresses specific speech and language challenges and contributes to overall mental well-being.
The benefits of this therapy extend beyond improved communication to include enhanced quality of life, increased social engagement, and greater confidence in navigating a variety of communication contexts for adults.
Summary
Cognitive speech therapy offers a powerful tool for individuals facing cognitive communication challenges, providing a path toward enhanced communication skills and independence.
By tailoring therapy to individual needs, employing memory and executive functioning exercises, and utilizing at-home activities and apps, cognitive speech therapy can help individuals overcome their communication difficulties and regain control of their lives.
About the Author
Allison Geller is a speech-language pathologist (SLP) and the owner of Connected Speech Pathology. She obtained her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Florida in Speech-Language Pathology. Allison has practiced speech therapy in a number of settings including telepractice, acute care, outpatient rehabilitation, and private practice. She has worked extensively with individuals across the lifespan including toddlers, preschoolers, school-aged children, and adults. She specializes in the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of a variety of communication disorders including receptive/expressive language disorders, articulation disorders, voice disorders, fluency disorders, brain injury, and swallowing disorders.
Allison served as the clinical coordinator of research in aphasia in the Neurological Institute at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. She is on the Board of Directors for the Corporate Speech Pathology Network (CORSPAN), a Lee Silverman Voice Treatment (LSVT) certified clinician, and a proud Family Empowerment Scholarship/Step-Up For Students provider. Allison is passionate about delivering high quality-effective treatment remotely because it’s convenient and easy to access. What sets us apart from other online speech therapy options is—Allison takes great care to hire the very best SLPs from all over the country.
